Early in their career, the Goo Goo Dolls were frequently dismissed by critics as mere imitators of The Replacements; however, the band refined its sound to be more mainstream, which helped it become one of the most popular adult alternative rock bands of the latter half of the '90s, selling millions of records to audiences largely unfamiliar with their inspirations. That's no bitch on the band, either -- their music simply improved in craft and accessibility as the years progressed, and radio happened to be receptive to what a decade earlier would have been considered collegiate power pop. Thus, the band landed two huge hits with the acoustic ballads "Name" and "Iris."
Originally a cover band with a taste for power pop and classic rock & roll, the group soon began writing its own songs. Their early sound recalled the The Replacements' origins as a bratty punk band (circa Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash) -- melodic, snotty, and a little bit thrashy. That sound was the reason the band attracted the interest of the heavy metal label Metal Blade, which issued their debut album in 1987 (known either as The Goo Goo girls or First Release). 1989's Jed continued in a similar vein; the college radio breakthrough came with 1990's Hold Me Up, a Replacements-ish power pop record.
1993's Superstar Car Wash was the Goo Goo Dolls' artistic breakthrough; though it did nothing to quell the Replacements comparisons, it was a finely crafted pop/rock record, and its lead single, "We Are the Normal," was co-written with Replacements leader Paul Westerberg himself. Still, Superstar Car Wash wasn't the commercial force the band hoped it would be, especially in light of the success of similar bands like the Gin Blossoms. That all changed with 1995's A Boy Named Goo, when an L.A. rock station put the acoustic-driven ballad "Name" into heavy rotation. It was eventually released as a single nationwide, and went Top Five late in the year; platinum sales for the album followed close behind. Unfortunately, the original drummer was no longer around to enjoy the band's success; prior to the album's release, he'd been sacked and replaced by drummer Mike Malinin.
Dissatisfied with the royalty rates in their Metal Blade contract, the band waged a legal battle that wound up allowing them to jump to parent company Warner Brothers. Somewhat drained, Rzeznik and the band shook off a case of writer's block to contribute the ballad "Iris" to the soundtrack of the 1998 americanized version of City of Angels (Featuring Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan). Appearing that April, the song was a monster smash, although it was never released as a single (so its official Top Ten pop chart status doesn't convey how popular it was); for a better indicator, "Iris" spent nearly a year on Billboard's airplay charts, including an astonishing 18 weeks at number one, and was nominated for three Grammys. The band's next album, Dizzy Up the Girl, was released in September, during the middle of "Iris"'s marathon airplay run, and sold over three million copies. Its clean, polished sound completed the Goo Goo Dolls' transformation into mainstream pop/rockers who happened to have alternative roots. Further hits from the record followed over the next year, including "Slide," "Dizzy," and the Grammy-nominated "Black Balloon," and the band toured heavily in support. The Goo Goo Dolls revamped their sound for 2001's career retrospective, Ego, Opinion, Art & Commerce. A year later, the trio hit the charts with "Here Is Gone" from their seventh studio album, Gutterflower. The CD/DVD combo Live in Buffalo: July 4, 2004 helped fans endure the long wait for the band's next studio album, Let Love In, which didn't appear until 2006. The band toured through the summer of 2007. The band released the first of two greatest hits compilation, entitled Greatest Hits Volume One: The Singles, November 13th 2007.
In February 2008, the band officially headed into studio to work on their new record.
In August 2010, the band released their ninth album, Something for the Rest of Us. In June 2013, the band's tenth studio album, Magnetic, was released. In December 2013, drummer Mike Malinin announced that he left the band.
In May 2016, the band released their eleventh studio album, Boxes. The Goo Goo Dolls' 12th studio album, Miracle Pill, was released on September 13, 2019.
Singles:
There You Are (Hold Me Up)
Just the Way You Are (Hold Me Up)
I'm Awake Now (Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare Soundtrack)
We Are the Normal (Superstar Car Wash)
Fallin' Down (Superstar Car Wash)
Only One (A Boy Named Goo)
Flat Top (A Boy Named Goo)
Name (A Boy Named Goo)
Long Way Down (A Boy Named Goo)
Naked (A Boy Named Goo)
Lazy Eye (Batman & Robin Soundtrack)
Iris (City of Angels Soundtrack/Dizzy Up the Girl)
Slide (Dizzy Up the Girl)
Black Balloon (Dizzy Up the Girl)
Dizzy (Dizzy Up the Girl)
Broadway (Dizzy Up the Girl)
Here Is Gone (Gutterflower)
Big Machine (Gutterflower)
Sympathy (Gutterflower)
Give A Little Bit (Live in Buffalo: July 4, 2004/Let Love In)
Better Days (Target's Sounds of the Season/Let Love In)
Stay With You (Let Love In)
Let Love In (Let Love In)
Before It's Too Late (Sam & Mikaela's Theme) (Transformers Soundtrack)
Home (Something for the Rest of Us)
Real (AT&T Team USA Soundtrack)
Not Broken (Something For The Rest Of Us)
Come to me
Goo Goo Dolls Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You be sweet and I'll be grateful
Cover me with kisses dear
Lighten up the atmosphere
Keep me warm inside our bed
I got dreams of you all through my head
Fortune teller said I'd be free
And that's the day you came to me
Come to me my sweetest friend
Can you feel my heart again
I'll take you back where you belong
And this will be our favorite song
Come to me with secrets bare
I'll love you more so don't be scared
And when we're old and near the end
We'll go home and start again
I caught you burnin' photographs
Like that could save you from your past
History is like gravity
It holds you down away from me
You and me, we've both got sins
And I don't care about where you've been
Don't be sad and don't explain
This is where we start again
Start again
Come to me my sweetest friend
Can you feel my heart again
I'll take you back where you belong
And this will be our favorite song
Come to me with secrets bare
I'll love you more so don't be scared
And when we're old and near the end
We'll go home and start again
Start again
Today's the day I'll make you mine
So get me to the church on time
Take my hand in this empty room
You're my girl, and I'm your groom
Come to me my sweetest friend
This is where we start again,
Again
Come to me my sweetest friend
Can you feel my heart again
I'll take you back where you belong
And this will be our favorite song
Come to me with secrets bare
I'll love you more so don't be scared
When we're old and near the end
We'll go home and start again
Start again
The lyrics to "Come to Me" by Goo Goo Dolls is a love song that discusses the journey of a couple through their past, present, and future. The first verse establishes that the singer is willing to be kind and grateful if their partner is loyal and sweet. The lines "Cover me with kisses dear, Lighten up the atmosphere" convey the desire for affection and intimacy between the two individuals. The singer expresses warmth and comfort when they mention the dreams of their partner. The lyrics also reveal that the fortune-teller predicted that the singer would be free, and that is the day the partner came.
In the second verse, the singer speaks directly to their partner and asks them to come back. They rekindle their relationship through their favorite song, and the singer assures the partner of their love, no matter what secrets they may have. The song recognizes that both parties have made mistakes but refuses to dwell on them, instead choosing to celebrate the ability to start afresh.
The chorus is the singer’s invitation to their partner: “Come to me my sweetest friend, Can you feel my heart again, I'll take you back where you belong, And this will be our favorite song.” The lyrics emphasize the intimacy and tenderness between the two, as well as the acceptance of each other’s flaws.
Overall, "Come to Me" captures the beauty of eternal love and forgiveness despite past mistakes.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll be kind, if you'll be faithful
If you stay true to me, I promise to treat you with kindness
You be sweet and I'll be grateful
If you're loving to me, I will appreciate and cherish you
Cover me with kisses dear
Show your affection towards me through physical gestures such as kissing
Lighten up the atmosphere
Bring joy and happiness into our surroundings
Keep me warm inside our bed
Provide comfort and intimacy when we are together
I got dreams of you all through my head
I constantly think about and dream of being with you
Fortune teller said I'd be free
A fortune teller has predicted that I will find freedom or release from something in my life
And that's the day you came to me
The day you came into my life was the day I found my freedom
Come to me my sweetest friend
Come to me, my dearest companion
Can you feel my heart again
Do you still have romantic feelings towards me?
I'll take you back where you belong
I will bring you back to where you feel most at home
And this will be our favorite song
Our love story will become our favorite memory
Come to me with secrets bare
Open up to me and share your deepest and darkest secrets
I'll love you more so don't be scared
I will love you more, regardless of what you share with me
And when we're old and near the end
As we age and approach death
We'll go home and start again
We will return to where we began and start anew
I caught you burnin' photographs
I witnessed you trying to destroy memories of your past
Like that could save you from your past
Destroying photographs won't help you escape from the troubles of your past
History is like gravity
The past pulls and weighs us down like gravity
It holds you down away from me
Your past is preventing you from being close to me
You and me, we've both got sins
Neither of us is perfect, we both have flaws or wrongdoings
And I don't care about where you've been
I am not concerned about your past mistakes, I only care about our future together
Don't be sad and don't explain
Don't dwell on past mistakes, and don't feel the need to justify them
This is where we start again
We can wipe the slate clean and start anew from this point on
Today's the day I'll make you mine
Today is the day I will officially make you my partner
So get me to the church on time
Get me to the wedding venue on schedule
Take my hand in this empty room
Grab my hand in this nondescript place
You're my girl, and I'm your groom
I am the man you are marrying and you are my wife
This is where we start again
This is the point where we can start our new life together
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GREGG WATTENBERG, JOHNNY RZEZNIK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jeff Warner
My wife and I attended their concert years ago when this song first came out. We stood, we held hands, tighter as the lyrics progressed. It was us. It was everything we had gone through. She passed away this past Christmas. It means even more to me every day that passes. Over 35 years with my wife, friend, partner in life. Thank you Goo Goo Dolls for making such an impactful song that touches the hearts of so many.
Ethan
So sorry for your loss ❤️
karrie rodriguez
I TO MISS MY HUSBAND. HE PASSED RIGHT BEFORE THIS SONG CAME OUT. WHEN I HEARD THIS I CRIED LIKE A BABY. I MISS HIM SO MUCH UNTIL THIS DAY. I LOVE THESE GUYS GOO GOO
DOLLS. FUNNY I GO SHOP FOR FOOD, I HEAR THIS SONG. THANK YOU FOR A GREAT SONG. ❤
Reker.A
God bless you
Greyson
I’m sorry for loss I’m sure they know how important you are to them and how important they are to you
Bill Maltby
So very sorry.. Stay strong.I lost my wife 9 years ago. I have been lost every since..
Beth Robinson
This was our wedding theme song...our story started 40+ years ago but life happened and we lost each other. 35 years later we found each other again and married. Getting ready to celebrate our 3rd wedding anniversary and my gift to him are front row tickets to see them. ❤️
Stacytw79
Oh I love this and am so happy for you guys!! I wish you all the best.❤
Nathan Moran
So glad you guys found each other again. Hope you both are doing lovely.
sweetsarah187
I LOVE how The Goo Goo Dolls have evolved. Some people will say they they have sold out from their original punk roots, but I think this evolution is just a sign that Johnny and Robby have grown up and experienced life. And the best part is they have shared it with us over the years.